DOUGLAS K. SHEFF
Founding Partner

From its beginnings, the Sheff Law Offices (“Sheff Law”) have evolved from a solo general practice firm into a position as a leading advocate in the highest-profile cases involving wrongful death and personal injury. Building upon the foundation laid by his father Irving (“Chick”) Sheff, Douglas (“Doug”) Sheff leads the fight for families and individuals who have suffered extreme wrongs. Recently, he represented the family of Odin Lloyd, the young man gunned down by former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez and his cohorts. Under his leadership, Sheff Law has represented families and victims of the Merrimack Valley Gas Explosion, including the family of Leonel Rondon. Leonel was tragically killed on the day of the explosion when a chimney collapsed on the car in which he was sitting. Doug has fought for justice for these families and others, carrying the mantle created by his father, Chick. 

Chick founded Sheff Law in the 1950s. He served in the U.S. Army abroad during World War II. Upon his return, he went to law school and then opened a small office which gradually focused on the area of personal injury. He served as a special Assistant Attorney General, working with the Honorable Edward McCormick, a Boston icon. Chick enjoyed obtaining justice for those who were unable to stand up to large corporations and insurance companies.

Doug grew up around his dad’s clients, who were often injured or disabled. He continued his father’s desire to utilize law and politics to obtain justice for those vulnerable folks who need it most. 

After 60-plus years of successful leadership within the legal community, Doug Sheff led Sheff Law in a merge with KJC Law Firm to form Sheff & Cook. Together, Doug and KJC Law Firm Founder, Kathy Jo Cook are working to consistently provide clients with unparalleled expertise and extraordinary outcomes, continuing their own legacies of success.

Doug is extremely proud to be the only attorney in Massachusetts’ history to have held the positions of President of the Massachusetts Bar Association, President of Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys, Governor of the American Association for Justice, and Trustee of the National College of Advocacy, reflecting his local and national commitment to the betterment of the practice of law and public service.

Doug has 34 years of professional experience in personal injury law. He has earned a reputation for obtaining consistent, superior recoveries for his clients. He focuses his practice on representing victims of wrongful death, traumatic brain injury, fire and explosions, construction site accidents, trucking accidents, workplace accidents, and defective products. He has received numerous honors and awards for his work as a lawyer, a consumer advocate, and an educator. An accomplished writer and speaker, Doug regularly educates attorneys, inside and outside of Massachusetts. He appears on television, radio, and in print media frequently as a legal expert or on behalf of clients in high-profile cases.

Doug was the President of the Massachusetts Bar Association (MBA), the largest statewide Bar Association in the Commonwealth. He worked for years to help fund the courts. In his Presidential year, Massachusetts judges received a long overdue pay raise. Doug founded and chairs the MBA Workplace Safety Task Force (“WPSTF”), which has brought about positive impact, including legislative changes that protect workers in Massachusetts. The WPSTF has brought together workers from the legal, business, government, and medical fields, as well as grassroots worker advocacy groups, to improve safety in the workplace. Doug helped to spearhead a successful effort to pass a law that protects countless workers from abuse and dangerous work conditions every year.

Doug also chairs the Traumatic Brain Injury Task Force (Task Force), addressing the needs of countless individuals who are victims of traumatic brain injury. The Task Force includes members of the Bar and Judiciary, football players, doctors, government officials, and other specialists.

Doug works extensively with the Judiciary. He was appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court to assist in drafting the new voir dire rule, a historical advancement, which promises fairness and justice to all who litigate in Massachusetts Courts.

Doug has performed significant pro bono work, including representation of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings who suffered traumatic brain injuries.

He also served as President of the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys (MATA), the leading bar organization devoted to representing members of the trial bar and protecting the civil justice system. He chaired MATA’s Federal Legislation Committee and, for 20 consecutive years, led leaders of the Massachusetts Bar on its annual “Cherry Blossom” trip to D.C., where attorneys meet with U.S. Senators and Representatives.

Doug has been a leader in the American Association for Justice (AAJ). The AAJ is the largest bar organization in the United States for trial attorneys. It is a force for positive legislative change and individual rights. He currently serves on the AAJ’s Board of Governors and the AAJ’s Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group Executive Committee. He was elected by his peers nationally to chair AAJ’s 100 State Delegates and was later elected to lead its Council of Presidents, representing 50,000 attorneys nationwide.

Doug served for six years as Trustee of the National College of Advocacy, which provides superior education and training for trial lawyers across the United States. He has been awarded Diplomate status for excellence in legal education. Doug is a member of Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, a group of attorneys who support consumer rights nationwide. He is a member of the Academy of Catastrophic Injury Attorneys. Doug is a director of the Belli Society, a group recognized for innovative litigation techniques.

Through the years, Doug has worked tirelessly on a range of cases within the fields of personal injury and wrongful death. This year marks the thirtieth year that Doug’s Partner Donald Grady has been with the firm. Frank Federico, also a Partner, has been with the firm for 14 years. Together this team has pioneered areas of personal injury, traumatic brain injury, and wrongful death. Sheff Law’s record includes a plethora of seven- and eight-figure verdicts and recoveries that have set new benchmarks in the field and made significant changes to health and safety, locally, nationally, and worldwide. 

Sheff Law has led battles to assist consumers in their claims against manufacturers of defective products. Not satisfied simply with assisting their clients, the attorneys at Sheff Law utilized these claims to encourage manufacturers to change designs to promote greater safety measures for users and consumers. Doug brought a suit against a national automotive repair dealer regarding the installation of tires and lack of adherence to appropriate protocols. A multi-million-dollar result was obtained following an accident in which a motorist was struck by a tire that had disengaged from a second automobile. He successfully litigated against a major manufacturer for defective seatbelts. Doug is known to say, “We do the most good as lawyers when we help those whom we do not represent,” for his cases often reach far beyond the parties.

Sheff Law’s cases have led to changes in the workplace. For example, Sheff Law recovered in excess of $7 million on behalf of the family of an Exxon employee who was killed at work. Following the case, Exxon instituted greater measures to protect workplace safety for workers responsible for loading fuel tankers at its oil facilities. In another case, the firm recovered $14 million on behalf of the families of two workers killed in a tragic explosion. Again, critical changes were made, and lives will be spared in the future. 

For decades, Doug has represented victims of traumatic brain injury. The firm has been utilizing cutting-edge medical resources to assist clients in the determination of the nature and extent of their injuries and has been successful in obtaining superior recoveries on behalf of these victims. Recently, Sheff Law recovered $10 million for a traumatic brain injury resulting from a motor vehicle accident as well as $5 million for a construction site injury resulting from a building collapse. It received $9 million in a case where the brain injury occurred outside the United States.

Sheff Law’s reputation has allowed it to attract and handle some of the most significant and high-profile cases of our time. The firm represents the families of the victims of the tragic Lowell fire of 2014, the worst in Massachusetts in two and a half decades. Last September, Sheff Law concluded its representation of Odin Lloyd’s family in the wrongful death case against the estate of infamous New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez, who was convicted of murdering Lloyd and later took his own life. The case involved professional sports, celebrities, murder, suicide, and countless challenging legal issues. Nonetheless, Sheff Law was able to settle the case in favor of the family.

Sheff Law resolved the extraordinary case against Columbia Gas Company and NiSource for the wrongful death of 18-year-old Leonel Rondon of Lawrence, following multiple explosions in Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover, Massachusetts. This case had a substantial impact on the Rondon family, the residents of the Merrimack Valley area, the citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and indeed the entire nation. Columbia Gas has since made multiple changes in their operations and procedures, designed to make the region’s gas supply safer for all. Columbia Gas has laid more than 43 miles of new pipeline, installed more than 5,000 new service lines, and performed more than 11,000 inspections. It has replaced more than 18,000 appliances in the service area. Multiple shut-off valves have been installed and meter and safety monitoring teams have been re-instituted.

Columbia Gas also agreed to reimburse the impacted cities and towns for the damages and expenses incurred in dealing with this disaster.

Finally, Columbia Gas announced the addition of a former National Transportation Safety Board Chair to the Board of Directors of NiSource (the parent company of Columbia Gas) and the appointment of a new president of Columbia Gas, who has re-dedicated the company to a “safety first” culture.

Sheff Law has agreed to establish a separate scholarship fund to encourage fire and explosion prevention and public safety, and will continue to work with the Rondon family to maintain a safe environment for all of us and our loved ones. It has also worked with Columbia Gas to create a substantial endowment to Leonel Rondon’s high school to fund an “art therapy” room to help students cope with grief, stress, and anxiety and promote healing. 

Sheff Law played a prominent role in the federal government’s investigation of the Merrimack Valley gas explosions. Its clients testified before the U.S. Senate Committee investigating the events. Sheff worked with Congress, including Senator Ed Markey and Congresswoman Lori Trahan, who introduced a new national pipeline safety bill. Sheff Law is proud that the bill is named “The Leonel Rondon Pipeline Safety Act.” 

Doug served on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the Consolidated Litigation against Columbia Gas and its efforts assisted the group in reaching a global settlement with Columbia Gas for all residents impacted by the disaster. 

Doug has received a number of awards for his work on behalf of clients and the practice of law. He received the AAJ Next Generation Award. He was chosen as the recipient of the Middlesex County Bar Association’s Outstanding Service Award for his leadership in developing public awareness of traumatic brain injury and for his lifelong commitment to equal justice under the law. He received the ORT Award for Integrity in the Law. He is consistently named in the Super Lawyer Edition of Boston Magazine. He received MATA’s first annual Excellence in Advocacy Award. He has been recognized in the publication Lifesavers for preventing injury through aggressive representation of victims of defective products. He received the prestigious Wiedeman Wysocki Award on seven separate occasions for his advocacy on behalf of individuals and families injured by the negligence of others. 

Sheff Law’s rich history and accomplishments have allowed it to enjoy great success while setting an example for lawyers everywhere who seek justice for their clients and the community in the courtroom, the legislature, and the public arena. Now, Sheff & Cook’s attorneys, led by Doug, continue a rich tradition of fighting for the little guy against big business. Sheff Law has always been known throughout the nation as a true leader in the law, and Sheff & Cook’s attorneys will continue the firm’s laudable legacy.